The way it is
by Lady Arcorna
Summary: Danny never died, but Evelyn chooses Rafe, anyway. When Danny gets to know Lilly Andrews his life changes - not for the better ...


The way it is  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except Lilly Andrews and Dr. Andrews.  
  
A/N: Danny never died, but Evelyn chose Rafe, anyway. When Danny gets to know Lilly his sad life changes - not for the better ...  
  
Chapter one  
  
Danny Walker's feet felt heavy as he was walking down the hospital's hall way. Evelyn had given birth to his child; a little boy, an hour ago.  
  
Tennessee ... was he really back? Or was this just a dream? He didn't know for sure. Hawaii ... Pearl Harbor. Painful memories. He had survived. He had been wounded, but he lived on. He smiled, but it was no happy smile. When he had lost Evelyn he had lost a part of his heart and how could that ever be replaced by anything or anyone?  
  
Finally he arrived at Evelyn's room and knocked on the door. No response. He knocked again and then entered the room and there they were: Evelyn with the baby in her arms and Rafe holding Evelyn. They were all asleep in the bed and Danny somehow felt that he shouldn't destroy the peaceful family, for that was what they were: A family. He didn't belong there. He didn't belong to anyone. He was just stupid, shy Danny as he had always been.  
  
He oppressed his tears, walked out again. His baby ... but he would never be the father. That was Rafe's job. When he was out on the hallway again, he could finally allow himself to cry and the tears kept flowing for a very long time.  
  
He left the hospital post haste and ran until he arrived at a river with a very high bridge. He didn't know why he was there. His feet had found the way on their own. His mind wasn't controlling his actions any longer; he was functioning on primitive instincts now. Suddenly he saw something different than his own misery. Something that shocked him: A girl who was around 18 years old; she was bleeding from between her legs and somehow Danny knew that this wasn't natural. Not this large amount of blood. He rushed over to her.  
  
"Miss? Are you all right?" The girl looked up and smiled.  
  
"Of course. Of course I am." With that she collapsed. He caught her in his arms just in time.  
  
Danny was sitting beside a hospital bed now, himself - just like Rafe, just that this was no happy day. The doctors had been very surprised when he had brought the girl in. They knew her. Her name was Lilian Andrews and she was Dr. Jacoby Andrews' wife. Dr. Andrews had gone to Philadelphia for two months, because he had to take part in a medical convention.  
  
Danny had been waiting all day for the test results, when finally an elderly man with a few white hairs behind his huge ears walked into the room.  
  
"Mr. Walker? I'm Dr. O'Connor. I'd like to thank you that you took care of Mrs. Andrews. I think you have the right to know what is wrong with her although you are not a relative." He paused and swallowed. "Mrs. Andrews lost her baby." Danny's eyes widened. "B-but she's a child. She's not supposed to be pregnant at all and ..." He stuttered. This was impossible. The same day. Evelyn had given birth to a baby -his baby- and this girl had lost one. "Mr. Walker, Dr. Andrews is thirty years. He is old enough to afford a wife and a child."  
  
Danny didn't like the word "afford" in this context at all. The old man was talking about Lillian like she was a cow or something like that.  
  
"Will she be okay?" he asked, silently.  
  
"I think so, but I'm not sure if she will still be able to have children." With that the old man turned around and left Danny behind. For some reason Danny didn't want to leave Lillian behind. He watched her; she reminded him of Evelyn. Lillian's hair was long and black and curled up at her forehead. Her face was paler than Evelyn's and softer. He smiled. She was really pretty, but all those things that he had just learned about her life made him worry.  
  
Danny spent the next two days at Lillian's bed when she finally woke up. She opened her eyes and looked at the stranger beside her bed.  
  
"Who are you? Where am I? What happened?" she managed to whisper.  
  
"I'm Danny Walker. You're in the hospital. I found you on a bridge. You were bleeding and then you collapsed and I took you here."  
  
She nodded, slowly and placed a hand on her tummy. Her eyes widened when she noticed how flat it was.  
  
"Where's my baby?" she asked. "WHERE IS IT?!"  
  
Danny put a hand on hers and forced her to look at him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Andrews ... Lillian. Your baby ... died." Lillian started to cry.  
  
"My baby. Why? Oh my God." She sobbed and sobbed. Danny didn't know what to do at first, but then he did the most natural thing and pulled her into his arms to comfort her in any way he could.  
  
He rocked her back and forth and suddenly he knew that he wanted to do that for eternity. 


End file.
